Wall Street Journal Reports IBM May Sell Watson Health Due to Data Challenges and Unprofitability

Mar 29, 2021 | International Laboratory News, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Might this be a sign that AI platforms like Watson still cannot diagnose the wide range of patients’ conditions as accurately as a board-certified clinical pathologist? Computer technology evolves so quickly, products often become obsolete before fulfilling their expected potential. Such, apparently, is the case with Watson, the genius artificial intelligence (AI) brainchild of International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) which was going to revolutionize how healthcare providers diagnose...

University of British Columbia Clinical Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program Adds COVID-19 Quality Assessments, Endows Chair

Mar 26, 2021 | Instruments & Equipment, International Laboratory News, International Laboratory News, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

COVID-19 pandemic has brought many non-traditional medical laboratory participants into UBC’s CMPT proficiency testing program When Canada’s British Columbia Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) saw the increasing demand for of COVID-19 tests and responsibilities headed its way, it reached out to a well-regarded proficiency testing program for help. The public health agency turned to the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Clinical Microbiology Proficiency Testing (CMPT) Program. Since the...

Virginia Commonwealth University Scientists Combine dPCR and High-Speed Microscopic Imaging to Reduce Cost of Diagnosing Cancers

Mar 24, 2021 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

VCU scientists used the technique to measure mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia, potentially offering an attractive alternative to DNA sequencing More accurate but less-costly cancer diagnostics are the Holy Grail of cancer research. Now, research scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) say they have developed a clinical laboratory diagnostic technique that could be far cheaper and more capable than standard DNA sequencing in diagnosing some diseases. Their method...

Concert Genetics, XIFIN, Bruce Quinn, MD, PhD, and The Dark Report to Update Clinical Laboratory Professionals on the State of the Genetic Testing Marketplace

Mar 23, 2021 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, International Laboratory News, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Physician use of genetic tests continues to grow at robust rates, even during the pandemic, but uncertainty about managed care reimbursement hangs over the market It may surprise many pathologists and clinical laboratory managers to learn that the market for genetic testing is robust and growing swiftly, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the explosion in both the number of unique genetic tests available to physicians, and the willingness of doctors to order genetic...

Clinical Laboratory Scientist in British Columbia Gets Recognition for Identifying the Province’s First Case of COVID-19

Mar 22, 2021 | International Laboratory News, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Medical technologists and clinical laboratory professionals are the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public is beginning to notice Medical technologists (MTs) and clinical laboratory scientists (CLSs) are the foundation of every successful clinical laboratory. But they seldom make the news. Therefore, it is worth noting, during this COVID-19 pandemic, when clinical laboratory professionals receive public recognition for the important role they play in fighting the disease. A news...

Consumer Genetic Testing Company 23andMe to Merge with Sir Richard Branson’s VG Acquisition Corp. and Go Public

Mar 19, 2021 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

The merger is expected to boost investment in 23andMe’s consumer health and therapeutics businesses After years of spectacular growth, the popularity of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing is beginning to wane. Nevertheless, opportunities still exist in the DTC genetic testing market for visionaries with funds to invest. One such visionary is billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the multinational venture capital conglomerate Virgin Group (VG). Branson’s VG Acquisition Corp....